By Jennifer Kelly, Secondary 1

One day, my family and I visited another country. Quite popular in its reign, we found ourselves stepping foot in England, where the snow fell from the sky gracefully and made a relaxing and comforting atmosphere. It was a special experience that made me wonder —  what is the difference between a religious Christmas and a non-religious Christmas?

People always wondered what the difference between a religious and a non-religious Christmas is. Here is a brief explanation that I’ve summed up from my research:

A non-religious Christmas is a celebration of winter solstice and the perfect period to spend quality time with our family and friends, while a religious Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth who Christians believe is the son of God.

They both have many similarities, like holiday traditions and cultural celebration. In fact, according to the BBC, the common activity for a Christian on Christmas Day would be church services, with carols to adorn Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is a national holiday as well, where many Christians attend church services to thank God for His gift of Jesus. Christians also pray and engage in special worship, where they also watch a nativity play that depicts the birth of Jesus. 

According to Google, people that are non-religious may celebrate Christmas by spending time with family and friends, giving gifts and enjoying food and drinks. They also decorate their homes, put up a tree and sing Christmas songs such as Silent Night, Frosty the Snowman and Jingle Bells. 

Both of them, on the contrary, might enjoy watching Christmas movies and doing activities like dinners, gift exchanges and ice skating.

To sum all things up, the difference between a non-religious Christmas and a religious Christmas is that a religious Christmas is based on faith and spirituality, while a non-religious Christmas is reliant on belief, on reason, and personal experience.